U.S. patent number 11,398,168 [Application Number 16/569,291] was granted by the patent office on 2022-07-26 for mobile device with a foldable display and method of providing user interfaces on the foldable display.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.. The grantee listed for this patent is Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Duncan Knarr, Andrew R McHugh, Seokhyun Yoon.
United States Patent |
11,398,168 |
Knarr , et al. |
July 26, 2022 |
Mobile device with a foldable display and method of providing user
interfaces on the foldable display
Abstract
A system and method for controlling presentation on a foldable
display of an electronic device is provided. A foldable electronic
device comprises a foldable housing including a hinge structure, a
first housing structure and a second housing structure foldable and
unfoldable with respect to the first housing structure about the
hinge structure. The electronic device includes a processor and a
memory to store instructions that cause the processor to receive a
first user input to select an application program; detect a change
from a folded state to an unfolded state; determine whether the
selected application program has user interface size restrictions;
and in the unfolded state, display a user interface of the selected
application on at least a portion of the foldable display, based in
part on the screen size restriction.
Inventors: |
Knarr; Duncan (Santa Rosa,
CA), McHugh; Andrew R (San Jose, CA), Yoon; Seokhyun
(Cupertino, CA) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. |
Suwon-si |
N/A |
KR |
|
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Assignee: |
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
(Suwon-si, KR)
|
Family
ID: |
1000006453941 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/569,291 |
Filed: |
September 12, 2019 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20200320906 A1 |
Oct 8, 2020 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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62828893 |
Apr 3, 2019 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06F
1/1652 (20130101); G09F 9/301 (20130101); G06F
1/1643 (20130101); G06F 1/1626 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G09G
5/00 (20060101); G09F 9/30 (20060101); G06F
1/16 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;345/156 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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1020170000671 |
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Jan 2017 |
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KR |
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1020170060375 |
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Jun 2017 |
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KR |
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1020180020669 |
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Feb 2018 |
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KR |
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Other References
Android 2.3 r1 Developer Guide for <supports-screens>
element, Published Nov. 12, 2011,
http://www.dre.vanderbilt.edu/.about.schmidt/android/android-4.0/out/targ-
et/common/docs/doc-comment-check/guide/topics/manifest/supports-screens-el-
ement.html (Year: 2011). cited by examiner .
"higan's Settings window," Jul. 22, 2017 [retrieved on Aug. 3,
2021]. Retrieved from the Internet:<URL:
https://higan.readthedocs.io/en/v104b/interface/higan-config/>
(Year: 2017). cited by examiner .
Matteo Pagani, "More UWP Succinctly," Jul. 12, 2017 [retrieved on
Aug. 3, 2021], Retrieved from the Internet:<URL:
https://www.syncfusion.com/succinctly-free-ebooks/more-uwp-succinctly/the-
-core-concepts-adaptive-layout-navigation-and-application-s-lifecycle>
(Year: 2017). cited by examiner.
|
Primary Examiner: Blancha; Jonathan M
Parent Case Text
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION AND PRIORITY CLAIM
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e) to
U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/828,893 filed on Apr. 3,
2019. This provisional application is hereby incorporated by
reference in its entirety.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An electronic device comprising: a foldable housing including: a
hinge structure; a first housing structure coupled to the hinge
structure; and a second housing structure coupled to the hinge
structure, wherein the second housing structure is foldable and
unfoldable with respect to the first housing structure about the
hinge structure, wherein the second housing structure is folded
onto the first housing structure in a folded state, and wherein the
second housing structure forms a substantially planar surface with
the first housing structure in an unfolded state; a foldable
display including a first portion positioned in the first housing
structure and a second portion positioned in the second housing
structure; a processor operatively connected to the foldable
display; and a memory operatively connected to the processor,
wherein the memory stores at least one application program and
further stores instructions that, when executed, cause the
processor to: receive a first user input to select an application
program among the at least one application program in the folded
state; detect a change from the folded state to the unfolded state;
determine whether the selected application program imposes a user
interface size restriction that limits display of a user interface
to a particular screen size; and in the unfolded state, display a
user interface of the selected application program on at least a
portion of the foldable display, based at least partly on the user
interface size restriction, wherein the processor is configured to
display the user interface on a screen size different from the
particular screen size.
2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions
further cause the processor to display a home screen together with
the user interface of the selected application program on the
foldable display, wherein the home screen includes at least one
icon representing the at least one application program.
3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the instructions
further cause the processor to display the home screen on at least
a portion of the foldable display and the user interface of the
selected application program on at least part of the second portion
of the foldable display.
4. The electronic device of claim 3, further comprising a
touchscreen display separate from the foldable display, wherein the
instructions cause the processor to, in the folded state: receive
the first user input through the touchscreen display, and display
the user interface of the selected application program on at least
part of the touchscreen display in response to the first user
input.
5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the touchscreen
display is positioned in an opposite side of the first housing
structure from the foldable display.
6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause
the processor to, in the folded state: receive the first user input
through the portion of the foldable display, and display the user
interface of the selected application program on at least part of
the first portion of the foldable display in response to the first
user input.
7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause
the processor to determine whether the selected application program
has the user interface size restriction based at least partly on a
manifest file of the selected application program.
8. An electronic device comprising: a foldable housing including: a
hinge structure; a first housing structure coupled to the hinge
structure; and a second housing structure coupled to the hinge
structure, wherein the second housing structure is foldable and
unfoldable with respect to the first housing structure about the
hinge structure, wherein the second housing structure is folded
onto the first housing structure in a folded state, and wherein the
second housing structure forms a substantially planar surface with
the first housing structure in an unfolded state; a foldable
display including a first portion positioned in the first housing
structure and a second portion positioned in the second housing
structure; a processor operatively connected to the foldable
display; at least one sensor operatively connected to the
processor; and a memory operatively connected to the processor,
wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause
the processor to: receive a user input that causes a first user
interface to be displayed in the folded state; detect a context of
the electronic device based on the first user interface displayed
in the folded state and a change from the folded state to the
unfolded state; determine, as a function of an input via the first
user interface, at least one context parameter representing the
detected context, the at least one context parameter associated
with at least one of calendar event, geographic location, or
historical user information; select a second user interface of an
application program based at least partly on the at least one
context parameter; and in the unfolded state, display the first
user interface and the second user interface on at least a portion
of the foldable display by displaying the first user interface on a
larger portion of the foldable display than the second user
interface being displayed on a smaller portion of the foldable
display, wherein the processor is configured to display the larger
portion of the foldable display on the first portion and at least
some of the second portion.
9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the memory stores a
first application program that includes the first user interface
and a second application program that includes the second user
interface.
10. The electronic device of claim 9, further comprising a
touchscreen display separate from the foldable display, wherein the
instructions cause the processor to, in the folded state: receive
the user input through the touchscreen display, and display the
first user interface of the first application program on at least
part of the touchscreen display in response to the user input.
11. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the instructions
cause the processor to, in the folded state: receive the user input
through the first portion of the foldable display, and display the
first user interface of the first application program on at least
part of the first portion of the foldable display in response to
the user input.
12. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the at least one
sensor includes a location sensor, and wherein the instructions
cause the processor to determine the at least one context parameter
based at least in part on data from the location sensor.
13. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the at least one
context parameter is associated with at least one of time,
location, information on the first application program, a user
history, a user information, a user's purchase information, or a
user's calendar information.
14. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the first application
program includes one of a map application program, an e-commerce
application program, or an email application program, and wherein
the second application program includes at least one of a shopping
application program, a ticket application program, a travel
application program, a reminder application program, a list
application program, or a calendar application program.
15. An electronic device comprising: a foldable housing including:
a hinge structure; a first housing structure coupled to the hinge
structure; and a second housing structure coupled to the hinge
structure, wherein the second housing structure is foldable and
unfoldable with respect to the first housing structure about the
hinge structure, wherein the second housing structure is folded
onto the first housing structure in a folded state, and wherein the
second housing structure forms a substantially planar surface with
the first housing structure in an unfolded state; a foldable
display including a first portion positioned in the first housing
structure and a second portion positioned in the second housing
structure; a processor operatively connected to the foldable
display; and a memory operatively connected to the processor,
wherein the memory stores at least one application program and
further stores instructions that, when executed, cause the
processor to: display a first user interface of a first application
program in a first size on the foldable display in the unfolded
state; detect a first change from the unfolded state to the folded
state; after detecting the first change, detect a second change
from the folded state to the unfolded state; after detecting the
second change, determine a length of time between the first change
from the unfolded state to the folded state and the second change
back to the unfolded state; if the length of time is within a
selected period of time, display the first user interface in the
first size on the foldable display in the unfolded state; and if
the length of time exceeds the selected period of time: display the
first user interface in a second size different from the first size
on the foldable display in the unfolded state, or not display the
first user interface on the foldable display in the unfolded
state.
16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the instructions
further cause the processor to: if the length of time exceeds the
selected period of time, display, on the foldable display in the
unfolded state: the first user interface in the second size smaller
than the first size, and a home screen that includes at least one
icon representing the at least one application program.
17. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the instructions
further cause the processor to: if the length of time exceeds the
selected period of time, display, on the foldable display in the
unfolded state, a home screen that includes at least one icon
representing the at least one application program, without
displaying the first user interface on the foldable display.
18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the instructions
further cause the processor to: if the length of time exceeds the
selected period of time, display, on the foldable display in the
unfolded state, a second user interface of a second application
program different from the first application program.
19. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the first size is
substantially the same as a size of the foldable display.
20. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the first size is
smaller than a size of the foldable display.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
This disclosure relates generally to an electronic device and more
specifically, to a mobile device with a foldable display and a
method for providing user interfaces on such a foldable
display.
BACKGROUND
Mobile electronic devices, such as mobile phones are evolving to
include various configurations. One such configuration is a
foldable mobile phone including a foldable display area. The
foldable display area provides a larger screen for interactions and
the ability to display multiple applications at once.
SUMMARY
This disclosure provides an apparatus and method for a user
interface. The apparatus may be an electronic device with a
foldable display that can provide a user interface for controlling
presentation of applications depending on application type, device
context, or time between when the device changes screen sizes.
In a first embodiment, an electronic device comprising a foldable
housing including a hinge structure, a first housing structure
coupled to the hinge structure and a second housing structure
coupled to the hinge structure. The second housing structure is
foldable and unfoldable with respect to the first housing structure
about the hinge structure. When the second housing structure is
folded onto the first housing structure the electronic device is in
a folded state and when the second housing structure forms a
substantially planar surface with the first housing structure the
electronic device is in an unfolded state. The electronic device
includes a foldable display including a first portion positioned in
the first housing structure and a second portion positioned in the
second housing structure. The electronic device includes a
processor, operatively connected to the foldable display and a
memory operatively connected to the processor. The memory stores at
least one application program and stores instructions that when
executed cause the processor to receive a first user input to
select an application program; detect a change from the folded
state to the unfolded state; determine whether the selected
application program has a user interface size restriction; and in
the unfolded state, display a user interface of the selected
application on at least a portion of the foldable display, based in
part on the screen size restriction.
In a second embodiment, an electronic device comprising a foldable
housing including a hinge structure, a first housing structure
coupled to the hinge structure and a second housing structure
coupled to the hinge structure. The second housing structure is
foldable and unfoldable with respect to the first housing structure
about the hinge structure. When the second housing structure is
folded onto the first housing structure the electronic device is in
a folded state and when the second housing structure forms a
substantially planar surface with the first housing structure the
electronic device is in an unfolded state. The electronic device
includes a foldable display including a first portion positioned in
the first housing structure and a second portion positioned in the
second housing structure. The electronic device includes a
processor, operatively connected to the foldable display at least
one sensor operatively connected to the processor and a memory
operatively connected to the processor. The memory stores
instructions that when executed cause the processor to receive a
first user input that causes a first user interface to be displayed
in the folded state; detect a change from the folded state to the
unfolded state; select a second user interface based at least
partly on at least one context parameter; and in the unfolded
state, display the first user interface and the second user
interface on at least a portion of the foldable display.
In a third embodiment, an electronic device comprising a foldable
housing including a hinge structure, a first housing structure
coupled to the hinge structure and a second housing structure
coupled to the hinge structure. The second housing structure is
foldable and unfoldable with respect to the first housing structure
about the hinge structure. When the second housing structure is
folded onto the first housing structure the electronic device is in
a folded state and when the second housing structure forms a
substantially planar surface with the first housing structure the
electronic device is in an unfolded state. The electronic device
includes a foldable display including a first portion positioned in
the first housing structure and a second portion positioned in the
second housing structure. The electronic device includes a
processor, operatively connected to the foldable display and a
memory operatively connected to the processor. The memory stores at
least one application program and stores instructions that when
executed by the processor cause the processor to display a first
user interface in a first size of a first application program on
the foldable display in the unfolded state; detect a first change
from the unfolded state to the folded state; after detecting the
first change, detect a second change from the folded state to the
unfolded state; after detecting the second change, determine a
length of time between the first change and the second change; if
the length of time is within a selected period of time, display the
first user interface int eh first size on the foldable display in
the unfolded state; if the length of time exceeds the selected
period of time, display the first user interface in a second size
different from the first size on the foldable display in the
unfolded state, or not display the first user interface on the
foldable display in the unfolded state.
Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION below, it may be
advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases
used throughout this patent document. The terms "transmit,"
"receive," and "communicate," as well as derivatives thereof,
encompass both direct and indirect communication. The terms
"include" and "comprise," as well as derivatives thereof, mean
inclusion without limitation. The term "or" is inclusive, meaning
and/or. The phrase "associated with," as well as derivatives
thereof, means to include, be included within, interconnect with,
contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or
with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose,
be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of,
have a relationship to or with, or the like.
Moreover, various functions described below can be implemented or
supported by one or more computer programs, each of which is formed
from computer readable program code and embodied in a computer
readable medium. The terms "application" and "program" refer to one
or more computer programs, software components, sets of
instructions, procedures, functions, objects, classes, instances,
related data, or a portion thereof adapted for implementation in a
suitable computer readable program code. The phrase "computer
readable program code" includes any type of computer code,
including source code, object code, and executable code. The phrase
"computer readable medium" includes any type of medium capable of
being accessed by a computer, such as read only memory (ROM),
random access memory (RAM), a hard disk drive, a compact disc (CD),
a digital video disc (DVD), or any other type of memory. A
"non-transitory" computer readable medium excludes wired, wireless,
optical, or other communication links that transport transitory
electrical or other signals. A non-transitory computer readable
medium includes media where data can be permanently stored and
media where data can be stored and later overwritten, such as a
rewritable optical disc or an erasable memory device.
As used here, terms and phrases such as "have," "may have,"
"include," or "may include" a feature (like a number, function,
operation, or component such as a part) indicate the existence of
the feature and do not exclude the existence of other features.
Also, as used here, the phrases "A or B," "at least one of A and/or
B," or "one or more of A and/or B" may include all possible
combinations of A and B. For example, "A or B," "at least one of A
and B," and "at least one of A or B" may indicate all of (1)
including at least one A, (2) including at least one B, or (3)
including at least one A and at least one B.
As used here, the terms "first" and "second" may modify various
components regardless of importance and do not limit the
components. These terms are only used to distinguish one component
from another. For example, a first user device and a second user
device may indicate different user devices from each other,
regardless of the order or importance of the devices. A first
component may be denoted a second component and vice versa without
departing from the scope of this disclosure.
It will be understood that, when an element (such as a first
element) is referred to as being (operatively or communicatively)
"coupled with/to" or "connected with/to" another element (such as a
second element), it can be coupled or connected with/to the other
element directly or via a third element. In contrast, it will be
understood that, when an element (such as a first element) is
referred to as being "directly coupled with/to" or "directly
connected with/to" another element (such as a second element), no
other element (such as a third element) intervenes between the
element and the other element.
As used here, the phrase "configured (or set) to" may be
interchangeably used with the phrases "suitable for," "having the
capacity to," "designed to," "adapted to," "made to," or "capable
of" depending on the circumstances. The phrase "configured (or set)
to" does not essentially mean "specifically designed in hardware
to." Rather, the phrase "configured to" may mean that a device can
perform an operation together with another device or parts. For
example, the phrase "processor configured (or set) to perform A, B,
and C" may mean a generic-purpose processor (such as a CPU or
application processor) that may perform the operations by executing
one or more software programs stored in a memory device or a
dedicated processor (such as an embedded processor) for performing
the operations.
The terms and phrases as used here are provided merely to describe
some embodiments of this disclosure but not to limit the scope of
other embodiments of this disclosure. It is to be understood that
the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references
unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. All terms and
phrases, including technical and scientific terms and phrases, used
here have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of
ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments of this
disclosure belong. It will be further understood that terms and
phrases, such as those defined in commonly-used dictionaries,
should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with
their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be
interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly
so defined here. In some cases, the terms and phrases defined here
may be interpreted to exclude embodiments of this disclosure.
Examples of an "electronic device" according to embodiments of this
disclosure may include at least one of a smartphone, a tablet
personal computer (PC), a mobile phone, a video phone, an e-book
reader, a desktop PC, a laptop computer, a netbook computer, a
workstation, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a portable
multimedia player (PMP), an MP3 player, a mobile medical device, a
camera, or a wearable device (such as smart glasses, a head-mounted
device (HMD), electronic clothes, an electronic bracelet, an
electronic necklace, an electronic accessory, an electronic tattoo,
a smart mirror, or a smart watch). Other examples of an electronic
device include a smart home appliance. Examples of the smart home
appliance may include at least one of a television, a digital video
disc (DVD) player, an audio player, a refrigerator, an air
conditioner, a cleaner, an oven, a microwave oven, a washer, a
drier, an air cleaner, a set-top box, a home automation control
panel, a security control panel, a TV box (such SAMSUNG HOMESYNC,
APPLETV, or GOOGLE TV), a gaming console (such as an XBOX,
PLAYSTATION, or NINTENDO), an electronic dictionary, an electronic
key, a camcorder, or an electronic picture frame. Still other
examples of an electronic device include at least one of various
medical devices (such as diverse portable medical measuring devices
(like a blood sugar measuring device, a heartbeat measuring device,
or a body temperature measuring device), a magnetic resource
angiography (MRA) device, a magnetic resource imaging (MRI) device,
a computed tomography (CT) device, an imaging device, or an
ultrasonic device), a navigation device, a global positioning
system (GPS) receiver, an event data recorder (EDR), a flight data
recorder (FDR), an automotive infotainment device, a sailing
electronic device (such as a sailing navigation device or a gyro
compass), avionics, security devices, vehicular head units,
industrial or home robots, automatic teller machines (ATMs), point
of sales (POS) devices, or Internet of Things (IoT) devices (such
as a bulb, various sensors, electric or gas meter, sprinkler, fire
alarm, thermostat, street light, toaster, fitness equipment, hot
water tank, heater, or boiler). Other examples of an electronic
device include at least one part of a piece of furniture or
building/structure, an electronic board, an electronic signature
receiving device, a projector, or various measurement devices (such
as devices for measuring water, electricity, gas, or
electromagnetic waves). Note that, according to embodiments of this
disclosure, an electronic device may be one or a combination of the
above-listed devices. According to some embodiments of this
disclosure, the electronic device may be a flexible electronic
device. The electronic device disclosed here is not limited to the
above-listed devices and may include new electronic devices
depending on the development of technology.
In the following description, electronic devices are described with
reference to the accompanying drawings, according to embodiments of
this disclosure. As used here, the term "user" may denote a human
or another device (such as an artificial intelligent electronic
device) using the electronic device.
Definitions for other certain words and phrases may be provided
throughout this patent document. Those of ordinary skill in the art
should understand that in many if not most instances, such
definitions apply to prior as well as future uses of such defined
words and phrases.
None of the description in this application should be read as
implying that any particular element, step, or function is an
essential element that must be included in the claim scope. The
scope of patented subject matter is defined only by the claims.
Moreover, none of the claims is intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. .sctn.
112(f) unless the exact words "means for" are followed by a
participle. Use of any other term, including without limitation
"mechanism," "module," "device," "unit," "component," "element,"
"member," "apparatus," "machine," "system," "processor," or
"controller," within a claim is understood by the Applicant to
refer to structures known to those skilled in the relevant art and
is not intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 112(f).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a more complete understanding of this disclosure and its
advantages, reference is now made to the following description,
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a network environment according to
an embodiment of this disclosure;
FIG. 2 illustrates an example electronic device according to an
embodiment of this disclosure;
FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate examples of a front view of a foldable
electronic device with a foldable display according to embodiments
of this disclosure;
FIG. 4 illustrates an example for how applications can restrict the
display sizes that are supported in a manifest file according to
embodiments of this disclosure;
FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a feature flaw when a user
interface of an application which is sized for a particular screen
size or aspect ratio maintains that size or aspect ratio when a
foldable electronic device is opened according to embodiments of
this disclosure;
FIG. 6 illustrates an example display of an application's user
interface on the non-foldable display and based on size
restrictions, the user interface of the application may be
displayed on the entire or partial portion of the foldable display
according to embodiments of this disclosure;
FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D and 7E illustrate examples of how user
interfaces of applications are displayed based on contextual
information according to embodiments of this disclosure;
FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D illustrate examples of multi-touch inputs
for changing from a dual screen view to a full screen view
according to embodiments of this disclosure;
FIGS. 9A, 9B, 9C and 9D illustrate examples for moving from a three
screen view to a two screen view where the starting point of the
multi-touch input gesture indicates which application to retain
according to embodiments of this disclosure;
FIGS. 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E and 10F illustrate examples for a
multi-touch input gesture swap of positions for the applications
according to embodiments of this disclosure;
FIGS. 11A, 11B, 11C and 11D illustrate examples of multi-touch
input gestures to go into an overview state according to
embodiments of this disclosure;
FIGS. 12A, 12B, 12C and 12D illustrate examples of multi-touch
input gestures to bring back the last application that was closed
according to embodiments of this disclosure;
FIG. 13 is a block diagram that illustrates an example method for a
user interface of an application to be fully or partially displayed
on a foldable display based on a time duration since an electronic
device was last opened according to embodiments of this
disclosure;
FIG. 14 is a block diagram that illustrates an example method
displaying a user interface of an application either fully or
partially on the foldable display according to embodiments of this
disclosure; and
FIG. 15 is a block diagram that illustrates an example method of
displaying a user interface of an application on the non-foldable
display or the foldable display according to embodiments of this
disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIGS. 1 through 15 discussed below, and the various embodiments
used to describe the principles of this disclosure in this patent
document are by way of illustration only and should not be
construed in any way to limit the scope of the disclosure. Those
skilled in the art will understand that the principles of this
disclosure can be implemented in any suitably arranged system.
This disclosure generally provides an apparatus and method for a
user interface. According to embodiments of this disclosure an
electronic device is a mobile device with a foldable display that
can provide a user interface for controlling and displaying
applications depending on application type, device context, or time
between the device changes screen sizes.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a network environment 100
according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The embodiment of
the network environment 100 shown in FIG. 1 is for illustration
only. Other embodiments of the network environment 100 could be
used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an electronic
device 101 is included in a network environment 100. The electronic
device 101 can include at least one of a bus 110, a processor 120,
a memory 130, an input/output (IO) interface 150, a display 160, a
communication interface 170, or sensors 180. In some embodiments,
the electronic device 101 can exclude at least one of the
components or can add another component.
The bus 110 includes a circuit for connecting the components 120 to
170 with one another and transferring communications (e.g., control
messages and/or data) between the components.
The processor 120 includes one or more of a central processing unit
(CPU), an application processor (AP), or a communication processor
(CP). The processor 120 is able to perform control on at least one
of the other components of the electronic device 101, and/or
perform an operation or data processing relating to
communication.
For example, the processor 120 is able to detect the device state
of the electronic device 101. The processor 120 can detect when the
foldable electronic device 101 is in a folded or closed state. The
processor 120 is also able to detect when the foldable electronic
device 101 is in an unfolded or open state. For example, the
processor 120 can to receive information from a variety of sensors
and use the information to determine whether or not the electronic
device 101 is in a closed state.
The processor 120 is able to receive an input selection of an
application and determine how to display the user interface of the
application on a foldable display of the electronic device 101. The
processor 120 can also determine how to display multiple user
interfaces of multiple applications on the foldable display of the
electronic device 101. The processor 120 can receive input to
rearrange and manipulate the display of the user interfaces of the
applications and respond. The processor 120 responds to the input
by rearranging and reformatting the display of the user interfaces
of the applications on the foldable display of the electronic
device 101. The processor is also able to determine an amount of
time between the electronic device 101 going from an unfolded state
to a folded state and back to an unfolded state in order to
determine a display configuration for the foldable display of the
electronic device 101.
The memory 130 can include a volatile and/or non-volatile memory.
For example, the memory 130 can store commands or data related to
at least one other component of the electronic device 101. In
various embodiments, the memory 130 can store spatial map data that
can include mapping information of a real environment such as the
interior of an office building, mall, house, amusement park,
neighborhood or any other real world or virtual world mapping
information utilized by an application 147 on the electronic device
101. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the
memory 130 stores software and/or a program 140. The program 140
includes, e.g., a kernel 141, middleware 143, an application
programming interface (API) 145, and/or an application program (or
"application") 147. At least a portion of the kernel 141,
middleware 143, or API 145 can be denoted an operating system
(OS).
For example, the kernel 141 can control or manage system resources
(e.g., the bus 110, processor 120, or a memory 130) used to perform
operations or functions implemented in other programs (e.g., the
middleware 143, API 145, or application program 147). The kernel
141 provides an interface that allows the middleware 143, the API
145, or the application 147 to access the individual components of
the electronic device 101 to control or manage the system
resources.
The middleware 143 can function as a relay to allow the API 145 or
the application 147 to communicate data with the kernel 141, for
example. A plurality of applications 147 can be provided. The
middleware 143 is able to control work requests received from the
applications 147, e.g., by allocating the priority of using the
system resources of the electronic device 101 (e.g., the bus 110,
the processor 120, or the memory 130) to at least one of the
plurality of applications 147.
The API 145 is an interface allowing the application 147 to control
functions provided from the kernel 141 or the middleware 143. For
example, the API 145 includes at least one interface or function
(e.g., a command) for filing control, window control, image
processing, or text control.
The IO interface 150 serve as an interface that can, e.g., transfer
commands or data input from a user or other external devices to
other component(s) of the electronic device 101. Further, the IO
interface 150 can output commands or data received from other
component(s) of the electronic device 101 to the user or the other
external device.
The display 160 includes, e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), a
light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode
(OLED) display, or a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) display,
or an electronic paper display. The display 160 is able to display,
e.g., various contents (e.g., text, images, videos, icons, or
symbols) to the user. The display 160 can include a touchscreen and
may receive, e.g., a touch, gesture, proximity or hovering input
using an electronic pen or a body portion of the user.
For example, the communication interface 170 is able to set up
communication between the electronic device 101 and an external
electronic device (e.g., a first electronic device 102, a second
external electronic device 104, or a server 106). For example, the
communication interface 170 can be connected with the network 162
or 164 through wireless or wired communication to communicate with
the external electronic device. The communication interface 170 can
be a wired or wireless transceiver or any other component for
transmitting and receiving signals, such as video feeds or video
streams.
Electronic device 101 further includes one or more sensors 180 that
can meter a physical quantity or detect an activation state of the
electronic device 101 and convert metered or detected information
into an electrical signal. For example, sensor 180 can include one
or more buttons for touch input, a camera, a gesture sensor, a
gyroscope or gyro sensor, an air pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor
or magnetometer, an acceleration sensor or accelerometer, a depth
or distance sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color
sensor (e.g., a red green blue (RGB) sensor), a bio-physical
sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, an illumination
sensor, an ultraviolet (UV) sensor, an electromyography (EMG)
sensor, an electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor, an electrocardiogram
(ECG) sensor, an IR sensor, an ultrasound sensor, an iris sensor, a
fingerprint sensor, etc. The sensor(s) 180 can further include a
control circuit for controlling at least one of the sensors
included therein. Any of these sensor(s) 180 can be located within
the electronic device 101. In some embodiments, a camera sensor 180
can capture a plurality of frames for a single image to be combined
by the processor 120. In some embodiments, the illumination sensor
180 can capture ambient light data to be processed by the processor
120 to determine whether the electronic device is in a folded or
unfolded state. In some embodiments, sensor(s) 180 can include
sensors that can detect movement or location of the hinge. The
processor 120 can use the hinge position information to determine
whether the electronic device is in a folded or unfolded state.
The wireless communication is able to use at least one of, e.g.,
long term evolution (LTE), long term evolution-advanced (LTE-A),
5th generation wireless system (5G), mm-wave or 60 GHz wireless
communication, Wireless USB, code division multiple access (CDMA),
wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), universal mobile
telecommunication system (UMTS), wireless broadband (WiBro), or
global system for mobile communication (GSM), as a cellular
communication protocol. The wired connection can include at least
one of universal serial bus (USB), high definition multimedia
interface (HDMI), recommended standard 232 (RS-232), or plain old
telephone service (POTS).
The network 162 includes at least one of communication networks.
Examples of communication include a computer network (e.g., local
area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN)), Internet, or a
telephone network.
The first and second external electronic devices 102 and 104 and
server 106 each can be a device of the same or a different type
from the electronic device 101. According to certain embodiments of
the present disclosure, the server 106 includes a group of one or
more servers. According to certain embodiments of the present
disclosure, all or some of operations executed on the electronic
device 101 can be executed on another or multiple other electronic
devices (e.g., the electronic devices 102 and 104 or server 106).
According to certain embodiments of the present disclosure, when
the electronic device 101 should perform some function or service
automatically or at a request, the electronic device 101, instead
of executing the function or service on its own or additionally,
can request another device (e.g., electronic devices 102 and 104 or
server 106) to perform at least some functions associated
therewith. The other electronic device (e.g., electronic devices
102 and 104 or server 106) is able to execute the requested
functions or additional functions and transfer a result of the
execution to the electronic device 101. The electronic device 101
can provide a requested function or service by processing the
received result as it is or additionally. To that end, a cloud
computing, distributed computing, or client-server computing
technique can be used, for example.
Although FIG. 1 shows that the electronic device 101 includes the
communication interface 170 to communicate with the external
electronic device 104 or server 106 via the network 162, the
electronic device 101 can be independently operated without a
separate communication function, according to an embodiment of the
present disclosure.
The server 106 can support to drive the electronic device 101 by
performing at least one of operations (or functions) implemented on
the electronic device 101. For example, the server 106 can include
a processing module or processor that may support the processor 120
implemented in the electronic device 101.
For example, the electronic device 101 can include an event
processing module, such as within processor 120. The event
processing module can process at least part of information obtained
from other elements (e.g., the processor 120, the memory 130, the
input/output interface 150, or the communication interface 170) and
can provide the same to the user in various manners. The server
event processing module can include at least one of the components
of the event processing module and perform (or instead perform) at
least one of the operations (or functions) conducted by the event
processing module.
The event processing module can be separate from the processor 120
or at least a portion of the event processing module can be
included or implemented in the processor 120 or at least one other
module, or the overall function of the event processing module can
be included or implemented in the processor 120 shown or another
processor. The event processing module can perform operations
according to embodiments of the present disclosure in
interoperation with at least one program 140 stored in the memory
130.
FIG. 2 illustrates an example electronic device 200 according to an
embodiment of this disclosure. In some embodiments, the electronic
device 200 is useable with data transfer applications, such
providing and receiving information from a server. The electronic
device can be a TV (such as SAMSUNG SMART TV.RTM.). The electronic
device 200 can be a digital video disc (DVD) player, a TV box (such
SAMSUNG HOMESYNC, APPLETV, or GOOGLE TV), a gaming console (such as
an XBOX, PLAYSTATION, or NINTENDO), or any of the other types of
electronic devices described above. The electronic device 200 can
be a mobile communication device, such as, for example, a mobile
station, a subscriber station, a wireless terminal, a desktop
computer, a portable electronic device, and the like. The
electronic device 200 can be a foldable electronic device that
includes a foldable display.
As shown in FIG. 2, the electronic device 200 includes an antenna
205, a communication unit 210, transmit (TX) processing circuitry
215, a microphone 220, and receive (RX) processing circuitry 225.
The communication unit 210 can include, for example, a radio
frequency (RF) transceiver, a BLUETOOTH transceiver, a WI-FI
transceiver, a ZIGBEE transceiver, an infrared transceiver, and the
like. The electronic device 200 also includes a speaker 230, a
processor 240, an input/output (I/O) interface (IF) 245, an input
250, a display 255, a memory 260, and a sensor(s) 265. The memory
260 includes an operating system (OS) 261 and one or more
applications 262.
The communication unit 210 receives, from the antenna 205, an
incoming RF signal transmitted from an access point (such as a base
station, WI-FI router, or Bluetooth device) or other device of a
network (such as a WI-FI, Bluetooth, cellular, 5G, LTE, LTE-A,
WiMAX, or any other type of wireless network). The communication
unit 210 down-converts the incoming RF signal to generate an
intermediate frequency or baseband signal. The intermediate
frequency or baseband signal is sent to the RX processing circuitry
225 that generates a processed baseband signal by filtering,
decoding, and/or digitizing the baseband or intermediate frequency
signal. The RX processing circuitry 225 transmits the processed
baseband signal to the speaker 230 (such as for voice data) or to
the processor 240 for further processing (such as for web browsing
data).
The TX processing circuitry 215 receives analog or digital voice
data from the microphone 220 or other outgoing baseband data from
the processor 240. The outgoing baseband data can include web data,
e-mail, or interactive video game data. The TX processing circuitry
215 encodes, multiplexes, and/or digitizes the outgoing baseband
data to generate a processed baseband or intermediate frequency
signal. The communication unit 210 receives the outgoing processed
baseband or intermediate frequency signal from the TX processing
circuitry 215 and up-converts the baseband or intermediate
frequency signal to an RF signal that is transmitted via the
antenna 205.
The processor 240 can include one or more processors or other
processing devices. The processor 240 can execute instructions that
are stored in a memory 260, such as the OS 261, in order to control
the overall operation of the electronic device 200. For example,
the processor 240 could control the reception of forward channel
signals and the transmission of reverse channel signals by the
communication unit 210, the RX processing circuitry 225, and the TX
processing circuitry 215 in accordance with well-known principles.
The processor 240 can include any suitable number(s) and type(s) of
processors or other devices in any suitable arrangement. For
example, in some embodiments, the processor 240 includes at least
one microprocessor or microcontroller. Example types of processor
240 include microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal
processors, field programmable gate arrays, application specific
integrated circuits, and discreet circuitry
The processor 240 is also capable of executing other processes and
programs resident in the memory 260, such as operations that
receive, store, and timely instruct by providing an input into a
neural network. The processor 240 can move data into or out of the
memory 260 as required by an executing process. In some
embodiments, the processor 240 is configured to execute a plurality
of applications 262 based on the OS 261 or in response to signals
received from external source(s) or an operator. Example
applications 262 can include a camera application (for still images
and videos), a video phone call application, an email client, a
social media client, an SMS messaging client, a virtual assistant,
and the like. The processor 240 is also coupled to the I/O
interface 245 that provides the electronic device 200 with the
ability to connect to other devices. The I/O interface 245 is the
communication path between these accessories and the processor
240.
The processor 240 is also coupled to the input 250 and the displays
255. The operator of the electronic device 200 can use the input
250 to enter data or inputs into the electronic device 200. Input
250 can be a keyboard, touch screen, mouse, track ball, voice
input, or other device capable of acting as a user interface to
allow a user in interact with electronic device 200. For example,
the input 250 can include voice recognition processing, thereby
allowing a user to input a voice command. As another example, the
input 250 can include a touch panel, a (digital) pen sensor, a key,
or an ultrasonic input device. The touch panel can recognize, for
example, a touch input in at least one scheme, such as a capacitive
scheme, a pressure sensitive scheme, an infrared scheme, or an
ultrasonic scheme. Input 250 can be associated with sensor(s) 265
and/or a camera by providing additional input to processor 240. In
some embodiments, the sensor 265 includes one or more inertial
measurement units (IMUS) (such as accelerometers, gyroscope, and
magnetometer), motion sensors, optical sensors, cameras, pressure
sensors, heart rate sensors, altimeter, and the like. The input 250
can also include a control circuit. In the capacitive scheme, the
input 250 can recognize touch or proximity. The processor 240 is
able to receive the input 250 selection of an application and
determine how to display the user interface of the application on
the displays 255 of the electronic device 200. The processor 240
can also determine how to display multiple user interfaces of
multiple applications on the displays 255 of the electronic device
200. The processor 240 can receive input to rearrange and
manipulate the display of the user interfaces of the applications
and respond. The processor 240 responds to the input by rearranging
and reformatting the display of the user interfaces of the
applications on the displays 255 of the electronic device 200.
The electronic device includes one or more displays 255 that can be
a liquid crystal display (LCD), light-emitting diode (LED) display,
organic LED (OLED), active matrix OLED (AMOLED), or other display
capable of rendering text and/or graphics, such as from websites,
videos, games, images, and the like. At least one display 255 is a
foldable display that is capable of enfolding into a closed state.
The foldable display can have two portions, a first portion and a
second portion, such that the foldable display is in a folded or
closed state when the first portion and the second portion face
each other or face in opposite directions. The foldable display is
in an unfolded or open state, when the first portion and the second
portion form a substantially planar surface. The foldable display
is capable of presenting for display one or more user interfaces of
applications as executed by the processor 240.
The memory 260 is coupled to the processor 240. Part of the memory
260 could include a RAM, and another part of the memory 260 could
include a Flash memory or other ROM. The memory 260 can include
persistent storage (not shown) that represents any structure(s)
capable of storing and facilitating retrieval of information (such
as data, program code, and/or other suitable information). The
memory 260 can contain one or more components or devices supporting
longer-term storage of data, such as a read only memory, hard
drive, Flash memory, or optical disc.
The electronic device 200 further includes one or more sensors 265
that can meter a physical quantity or detect an activation state of
the electronic device 200 and convert metered or detected
information into an electrical signal. The sensors 265 can detect
when the electronic device is going from an open, or unfolded,
state to a closed, or folded, state. For example, the sensor 265
can include one or more buttons for a touch input, a camera, a
gesture sensor, an IMU sensors (such as a gyroscope or gyro sensor
and an accelerometer), an air pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor or
magnetometer, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, a
bio-physical sensor, a temperature/humidity sensor, an illumination
sensor, an Ultraviolet (UV) sensor, an Electromyography (EMG)
sensor, an Electroencephalogram (EEG) sensor, an Electrocardiogram
(ECG) sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, an ultrasound sensor, an
iris sensor, a fingerprint sensor, and the like. The sensors 265
can include a location sensor, such as a Global Positioning Sensor
(GPS). The sensors 265 can further include control circuits for
controlling any of the sensors included therein. Any of these
sensor(s) 165 can be located within the electronic device 200.
Although FIG. 2 illustrates examples of electronic devices, various
changes can be made to FIG. 2. For example, various components in
FIG. 2 could be combined, further subdivided, or omitted and
additional components could be added according to particular needs.
As a particular example, the processor 240 could be divided into
multiple processors, such as one or more central processing units
(CPUs) and one or more graphics processing units (GPUs). In
addition, electronic devices can come in a wide variety of
configurations, and FIG. 2 does not limit this disclosure to any
particular electronic device.
FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate examples of a front view and back view
of a foldable electronic device 300 with a foldable display
according to embodiments of this disclosure. The embodiment of the
foldable electronic device 300 with a foldable display as shown in
FIGS. 3A and 3B are for illustration only and other embodiments
could be used without departing from the scope of the present
disclosure. According to embodiments of this disclosure a foldable
electronic device 300 is the same as the electronic device 200 and
the foldable electronic device 300 is understood to be a mobile
phone. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the terms
foldable electronic device and electronic device are used
interchangeably when referring to the systems and methods for
displaying applications on a foldable display.
Referring to non-limiting examples of FIGS. 3A and 3B, a foldable
electronic device 300 comprises a foldable housing 350 including a
hinge structure 355, a first housing structure 360 and a second
housing structure 365. According to embodiments of this disclosure,
the first housing structure 360 and the second housing structure
365 are coupled to the hinge structure 355 such that the second
housing structure 365 is foldable and unfoldable with respect to
the first housing structure 360 about the hinge structure 355. The
foldable electronic device 300 is an outfolding type of foldable
device such that the first housing structure 360 and the second
housing structure 365 can rotate up to 360.degree. about the hinge
structure 355. The first housing structure includes a first surface
361 and a second surface 362 which faces away from the first
surface 361. The second housing structure 365 includes a third
surface 366 and a fourth surface 367 which faces away from the
third surface 366. When the foldable housing 350 is in a folded
state, or closed, the first surface 361 faces the third surface 366
so as to not be exposed to the outside. The second housing
structure 365 is folded onto the first housing structure 360 in the
folded state. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the
foldable housing 350 can also be in a folded state, or closed, when
the fourth surface 367 faces the second surface 362 so as to not be
exposed to the outside.
The foldable housing 350 is in an unfolded state, or open when the
first surface 361 and third surface 366 no longer substantially
face each other so as to not be exposed to the outside and the
first surface 361 and third surface 366 generally face in the same
direction, forming a planar surface. The second housing structure
365 forms a substantially planar surface with the first housing
structure 360 in the unfolded state. According to embodiments of
this disclosure, the second surface 362 and the fourth surface 367
also generally face in the same direction, forming a planar surface
in an unfolded state. A foldable display 320 is positioned on the
foldable housing 350 on the first surface 361 and the third surface
366. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the foldable
display 320 can be positioned in the foldable housing 350 such that
the foldable display 320 is facing externally when either the first
housing structure 360 or the second housing structure 365 folds
open 360.degree. about the hinge 355.
According to embodiments of this disclosure a foldable display 320
includes a first portion 321 and a second portion 322. The first
portion 321 is positioned in the first housing structure 360 and
the second portion 322 is positioned in the second housing
structure 365. The first portion of the display 321 and the second
portion of the display 322 form a portion of the first surface 361
and the third surface 366.
According to embodiments of this disclosure, a non-foldable display
315 is positioned in the first housing structure 360 on the second
surface 362.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIG. 3A a front folded
view 305 of the foldable electronic device 300 comprises a
non-foldable display 315 disposed to face an exterior when the
foldable electronic device 300 is in a folded or closed state.
According to embodiments of this disclosure the non-foldable
display 315 can also face an interior when the foldable electronic
device 300 is in a closed or folded state, such that the foldable
display 320 is disposed to face the exterior. According to
embodiments of this disclosure, when the foldable electronic device
300 is in a folded state it may also be referred to as being in
mobile mode or closed. The non-foldable display 315 is disposed on
the second surface 362. The non-foldable display 315 is not limited
to positioning on the first housing structure 360, and second
surface 362, but could also be positioned in the second housing
structure 365 on the fourth surface 367.
FIG. 3A illustrates that when the foldable electronic device 300 is
opened a foldable display 320, which encompasses the full width and
height of the foldable electronic device 300 when unfolded, is
visible. The foldable display 320 comprises the first portion 321
and the second portion 322. The first portion 321 is disposed on
the first surface 361 and the second portion 322 is disposed on the
third surface 366. According to embodiments of this disclosure,
when the foldable electronic device 300 is in an unfolded state it
may be referred to as being in tablet mode or open. In certain
embodiments, a viewable size of the non-foldable display 315 is
different than a viewable size of the foldable display 320. In
certain embodiments, an aspect ratio, namely a ratio of a width to
height of the screen, of the non-foldable display 315 is different
than an aspect ratio of the foldable display 320.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIG. 3B a rear unfolded
view 325 of the foldable electronic device 300 comprises the
non-foldable display 315 and an exterior rear surface 335 disposed
beside the non-foldable display 315 and facing the same direction.
The exterior rear surface 335 is disposed on the fourth surface
367. The exterior rear surface 335 may include cameras 340 and
other sensors 345. A rear folded view 330 of the foldable
electronic device 300 comprises the exterior rear surface 335 which
is disposed to face in the opposite direction of the non-foldable
display 315.
Applications for mobile devices, as written by developers, may
contain screen size restrictions. The screen size restrictions may
limit the ability for a mobile device to download a particular
application. Screen size restrictions also present problems when a
mobile device has multiple screens. There exists no good solution,
or user interface, to display applications on a mobile device with
multiple display sizes.
FIG. 4 illustrates an example for how applications can restrict the
display sizes that are supported in a manifest file according to
embodiments of this disclosure. The example manifest file as shown
in FIG. 4 is for illustration only and other embodiments could be
used without departing from the scope of the present
disclosure.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIG. 4, a developer of an
application can restrict the screen size of a user interface of an
application to fit one or more of a small screen, a normal screen,
a large screen, or an extra large screen in a manifest file of the
application. Downloading an application to an electronic device 300
may be prevented if the electronic device 300 does not have the
adequate screen size or aspect ratio for display of the
application. A small screen or normal screen layout would
correspond with the foldable electronic device 300 displaying in
mobile mode using the non-foldable display 315. A large screen or
extra large screen layout would correspond to the foldable
electronic device 300 displaying in tablet mode using the foldable
display 320. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the
foldable electronic device 300 is not restricted by screen size
configurations when downloading an application because it is
configured to display all user interface screen size
configurations.
FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a feature flaw when a user
interface of an application that is sized for a particular screen
size or aspect ratio maintains that size or aspect ratio when a
foldable electronic device 300 is opened according to embodiments
of this disclosure. The embodiment of the feature flaw as shown in
FIG. 5 is for illustration only and other embodiments could be used
without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
In the example shown in FIG. 5, the non-foldable display 315 has a
first aspect ratio and the foldable display 320 has a second aspect
ratio that is different than the first aspect ratio. For example,
the non-foldable display 315 and foldable display 320 may have a
same or matching height while the non-foldable display 315 may have
a smaller width. In some cases, the width of the non-foldable
display 315 may be half the width of the foldable display 320. In
certain embodiments, the non-foldable display 315 and foldable
display 320 may have a same or matching width while the
non-foldable display 315 may have a smaller height. In certain
embodiments, the non-foldable display 315 and foldable display 320
may have dissimilar or non-matching heights and widths.
In the illustrated example, a lock screen 505 is displayed on the
non-foldable display 315. After a user unlocks the phone, the user
can select an icon 510 of an application program (for example, a
game app) displayed on the non-foldable display 315, thereby
displaying a user interface of the application program on the
non-foldable display 315.
After the user interface is displayed on the non-foldable display
315, the user can open the foldable electronic device 300 for use
in the unfolded state or tablet mode. If the user interface of the
application program has a screen size restriction, the user
interface will be displayed, for example, in the center of the
foldable display, 320 with remaining portion of the display
rendered black. That is, the developer limited the screen size in
the manifest file to display only on a small screen. When the user
interface of the application is presented on the larger screen size
of the foldable display, the size does not vary and the user
interface will be positioned in the center of the foldable display.
As illustrated, much of the interior display real estate is left
unutilized
According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a foldable
electronic device 300 has the capability to download and install
any application for use on the foldable electronic device 300
regardless of user interface screen size restrictions. For example,
a foldable electronic device 300 can display the user interface of
the installed application in the corresponding size, using either
the entire or partial display area of the foldable display 320. The
size and how the application is displayed on the foldable display
320 is based on the application user interface size restrictions.
In this manner, the electronic device 300 can control the placement
and sizes of user interfaces of the applications displayed on the
foldable display 320 to best utilize the full real estate of the
foldable display 320.
FIG. 6 illustrates an example display of an application's user
interface on the non-foldable display 315 and based on size
restrictions, the user interface of the application may be
displayed on the entire or partial portion of the foldable display
320 according to embodiments of this disclosure. The embodiment of
how user interfaces of applications are displayed as shown in FIG.
6 is for illustration only and other embodiments could be used
without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIG. 6, a lock screen 605
is displayed on an exterior, non-foldable display 315. A user
unlocks the phone and a home launcher, or home screen, 610 is
displayed on the non-foldable display 320. A user selects an
application from the home screen 610 and the application 615 is
displayed on the non-foldable display 615. The home screen 610
displays a plurality of application icons associated with various
application programs available to be executed on the electronic
device 300.
If the application is written such that it supports a full screen
layout, the user interface of the application 615 will adjust to
encompass the full foldable display 320. That is, the first portion
321 and the second portion 322 of the foldable display will display
the user interface of the application 615.
If the application 615 is written such that it does not support a
full screen, or large, layout, the electronic device 300 is
configured to display the home screen 610 on the first portion 321
of the foldable display 320 and the user interface of the
application 615 on the second portion 322 of the foldable display
320. In this manner, the full real estate of the foldable screen
may be utilized when the application is not written to support the
full screen size. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the
positions of the home screen and the user interface of the
application are not limited to the configuration provided and
various changes may be made regarding how the user interface of the
application and home screen are displayed.
FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D and 7E illustrate examples of how user
interfaces of applications are displayed based on contextual
information according to embodiments of this disclosure. The
embodiments of how the user interfaces of applications are
displayed based on contextual information as shown in FIGS. 7A, 7B,
7C, 7D and 7E are for illustration purposes only and other
embodiments could be used without departing from the scope of the
present disclosure. In certain embodiments, the contextual
information can be represented using at least one context
parameter. The at least one context paraments can be associated
with a least one of a time, a location, information on the first
application program user, a user history, a user information, a
user's purchase information, or a user's calendar information. The
embodiments described in connection with FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D and
7E can be implemented independently of the embodiments described
above in connection with FIG. 6.
According to embodiments of this disclosure, a user input of a
selection of an application program is received and in response a
first user interface of the application program is displayed while
the device is in the folded state on the non-foldable display 315.
The electronic device 300 is configured to detect a change from the
folded state to the unfolded state. A second user interface of the
application program is selected based at least partly of at least
one context parameter determined by the electronic device 300. The
second user interface and the first user interface are displayed
together on at least a portion of the foldable display 320 in the
unfolded state. According to embodiments of this disclosure the
first and second user interface are of the same application
program, but display different information based on the detected
context. The display of multiple user interfaces is not limited to
display of the same application, but the electronic device 300 can
also be configured to display multiple user interfaces of multiple
application programs based on the detected context.
Referring to the non-limiting examples of FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D and
7E, the electronic device 300 is configured to display a plurality
of applications or user interfaces on a foldable display 320.
According to embodiments, the electronic device 300 is configured
to present one application in a larger portion of the foldable
display 320 and another application in a smaller portion. The
larger portion of the foldable display 320 can be further
subdivided into sections to display multiple applications.
Likewise, the smaller portion of the foldable display 320 can be
further subdivided into sections to display multiple applications
or user interfaces. Referring to the non-limiting example of FIG.
7A, a user has selected an application 705 (for example, a
navigation or map application) which displays a map showing an
airport. The user selection of the application can occur when the
electronic device 300 is in the folded state. While the application
705 is being displayed on the non-foldable display 315, the
electronic device 300 can detect a context of the electronic device
and/or the application 705.
When the foldable electronic device 300 is opened to an unfolded
state, the electronic device 300 can be configured to display a
boarding pass 710 for the user in the smaller portion of the
foldable display along with the user interface of the application
705 in the larger portion of the foldable display, as illustrated
in FIG. 7A.
According to embodiments, when the user is at the airport the
electronic device 300 can be configured to determine its location
with its location sensor (such as sensor 180 from FIG. 1 or sensor
265 from FIG. 2). Thus, when the user opens the foldable device 300
to the unfolded state, the electronic device 300 may be triggered
to display the boarding pass together with the user interface of
the application program. The electronic device may be configured to
use other methods of determining a location, including but not
limited to information from beacons, known wireless networks,
cellular tower triangulation, etc.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIG. 7B, a user may be
viewing an application 715 related to shopping on the non-foldable
display 315. The electronic device 300 detects the context based on
the shopping application 715. The electronic device 300 is
configured to display a user's shopping list 720 along with the
shopping application 715 when the electronic device 300 is opened
to an unfolded state. According to embodiments, the electronic
device 300 may be configured to display the user's shopping list
720 together with the shopping application 715 when the user enters
the store associated with the shopping application 715. The
electronic device 300 can determine if it is at the store with its
location sensor (such as sensor 180 from FIG. 1 or sensor 265 from
FIG. 2) and when the user opens the electronic device 300 to an
unfolded state, the electronic device may be triggered to display
the shopping list 720 in the smaller portion of the foldable
display 320 with the shopping application 715 on the larger portion
of the foldable display 320. According to embodiments of this
disclosure the shopping list 720 may be one of the views of the
shopping application 715 user interface. That is, the electronic
device 300 is configured to display a user interface showing one
view of an application program along with the same user interface
showing a second view of an application program at the same time on
the foldable display 320.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIG. 7C, a user may be
viewing a calendar event 725 on the non-foldable display. In this
example, the calendar event 725 is related to picking someone up
from the airport. The electronic device 300 detects the context
based on the calendar event 725 and is configured display an
application for directions 730 (for example, a navigation or map
application) along with the calendar event 725 when the electronic
device 300 is opened to an unfolded state. According to
embodiments, the electronic device 300 can be configured to display
the calendar event 725 in the smaller portion of the foldable
display 320 together with the application 730 in the larger portion
of the foldable display 320.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIG. 7D, a user may be
viewing an e-mail about concert tickets in an e-mail application
725 on the non-foldable display 315. The electronic device 300 can
detect the context based on the email application 725 and is
configured to display information about the concert venue 730 and
the e-ticket 735 all on the foldable display when the electronic
device 300 is opened to an unfolded state. In this example, the
electronic device 300 is configured to display the information
about the concert venue 730 in a larger portion of the foldable
display 320 and the email application 725 and the e-ticket 735 are
each displayed in split screens of the smaller portion of the
foldable display 320.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIG. 7E, a user may
receive a notification 740 of a calendar event 745 related to
dinner reservations on the non-foldable display 315. The electronic
device 300 can detect a context based on the notification 740 and
the calendar event 745. When the user opens the electronic device
300 to an unfolded state, a restaurant menu 745 is displayed in the
larger portion of the foldable display 320 along with the dinner
reservations calendar event 750 in the top portion of the smaller
portion of the foldable display 320 and the reservation information
755 in the bottom portion of the smaller portion of the foldable
display 320.
According to embodiments of this disclosure, the user interface of
a foldable electronic device 300 is configured to receive a variety
of multi-touch inputs that correspond to various manipulations of
the presentation of applications on the foldable display 310. The
manipulations include but are not limited to varying the
application display size, varying the application display position,
entering an overview state, and bringing back an application that
was most recently closed. Various examples are provided in
accordance with the illustrations of FIGS. 8A though 12D. These
examples are for illustration only and other embodiments could be
used without departing from the scope of the present procedure.
FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D illustrate examples of multi-touch inputs
for changing from a dual screen view to a full screen view
according to embodiments of this disclosure. The embodiments for
changing from a dual screen view to a full screen view shown in
FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D are for illustration only and other
embodiments could be used without departing from the scope of the
present disclosure.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIGS. 8A and 8B, an
electronic device 300 is in a non-folded state or tablet mode. In
FIG. 8A, App 1 and App 2 are being viewed side by side in the first
portion 321 and the second portion 322, respectively, of the
foldable display 320. A user, using a multi-touch input, places a
first finger, or a first touch input, 805 in the first portion 321
of the folded display 320, or App 1, and places a second finger, or
a second touch input, 810 spaced apart horizontally from the first
touch input 805, in the second portion 322 of the folded display
320, or App 2. The user moves the two fingers to the right,
signaling to the electronic device to display App 1 over the full
screen display of the foldable display 320 as illustrated in FIG.
8B. That is, App 1 is displayed to encompass the first portion 321
and the second portion 322 of the foldable display 320.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIGS. 8C and 8D, an
electronic device 300 is in a non-folded state or tablet mode. In
FIG. 8C App 1 and App 2 are being viewed side by side in the first
portion 321 and the second portion 322, respectively, of the
foldable display 320. A user, using a multi-touch input, places a
first finger, or a first touch input, 805 in the first portion 321
of the folded display 320, or App 1 and places a second finger, or
a second touch input, 810 spaced apart vertically from the first
touch input 805, in the first portion 321 of the folded display
320, or App 1. The user moves the two fingers to the right and
crosses over the threshold from App 1 to App 2, signaling to the
electronic device to display App 1 over the full screen display of
the foldable display 320 as illustrated in FIG. 8D. That is, App 1
is displayed to encompass the first portion 321 and the second
portion 322 of the foldable display 320.
According to embodiments of this disclosure, the electronic device
is not limited to the display configurations as illustrated in
FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C and 8D. For example, the multi-touch gesture input
can originate in App 2, or the second portion 322 of the foldable
display, wherein the user moves the fingers to the left such that
the resulting full screen display is App 2.
FIGS. 9A, 9B, 9C and 9D illustrate examples for moving from a three
screen view to a two screen view where the starting point of the
multi-touch input gesture indicates which application to retain
according to embodiments of this disclosure. The embodiment for
moving from a three screen view to a two screen view as shown in
9A, 9B, 9C and 9D is for illustration only and other embodiments
could be used without departing from the scope of the present
disclosure.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIGS. 9A and 9B, three
applications are displayed on the foldable display 320 of the
electronic device 300. Although three applications are illustrated
for explanation, embodiments having more than three applications
could be used without departing from the scope of the present
disclosure. App 1 is displayed in the first portion 321 of the
foldable display 320, App 2 is displayed in an upper portion of the
second portion 322 of the foldable display 320 and App 3 is
displayed in a lower portion of the second portion 322 of the
foldable display 320. FIG. 9A illustrates a multi-touch gesture
input comprising the user placing a first finger, or a first touch
input, 905 in the upper portion of the second portion 322 of the
folded display 320, or App 2, and places a second finger, or a
second touch input, 910 spaced apart horizontally from the first
touch input 905, in the upper portion of the second portion 322 of
the folded display 320, or App 2. The user slides the fingers
downward into the lower portion of the second portion 322 of the
foldable display 320, or App 3, signaling to the electronic device
to display App 2 over the full portion of the second portion 322 of
the foldable display 320. FIG. 9B illustrates the resulting
configuration of App 1 being displayed in the first portion 321 of
the folded display 320 beside App 2, which is displayed in the
second portion 322 of the foldable display 320.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIGS. 9C and 9D, three
applications are displayed on the foldable display 320 of the
electronic device 300. In this example, multi-touch gesture input
comprising the user placing two fingers, spaced apart horizontally
as illustrated in FIG. 9C. The first finger, or first touch input,
915 is placed in the first portion 321 of the foldable display 320,
or App 1. The second finger, or second touch input, 920 is placed
in the lower portion of the second portion 322 of the foldable
display 320, or App 3. As the user slides the fingers from right to
left, the electronic device 300 is configured to display App 3 in
the first portion 321 of the foldable display 320, replacing App 1.
FIG. 9D illustrates the resulting display of App 3 in the first
portion 321 of the foldable display 320 and display of App 2 in the
second portion 322 of the foldable display 320.
According to embodiments of this disclosure, the electronic device
300 is not limited to the display configurations as illustrated in
FIGS. 9A, 9B, 9C and 9D. For example, the multi-touch gesture input
can originate in App 2, or the upper portion of the second portion
322 of the foldable display 320, wherein the user moves the fingers
to the left resulting in App 2 being displayed in the first portion
321 of the foldable display 320 and App 3 being displayed in the
second portion 322 of the foldable display 320. In addition, the
multi-touch input could originate in the first portion 321 of the
foldable display 320, or App 1, wherein when the user moves the
fingers to the right the resulting display would be a full screen
display of App 1 on the foldable display 320. As another example,
the multi-touch input could originate in the first portion 321 of
the foldable display 320, or App 1, wherein when the user moves the
fingers to the right toward the upper part of the second portion
322, App 1 moves to the App 2 position, or the upper part of the
second portion 322; App 2 moves to the App 3 position, or the lower
part of the second portion 322; and App 3 moves to the App 1
position, or the first portion 321.
FIGS. 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E and 10F illustrate examples for a
multi-touch input gesture swap of positions for the applications
according to embodiments of this disclosure. The embodiment for
gesture swapping of positions of applications as shown in FIGS.
10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E and 10F is for illustration only and other
embodiments could be used without departing from the scope of the
present disclosure.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIGS. 10A and 10B, an
electronic device 300 is in a non-folded state or in tablet mode.
In FIG. 10A App 1 and App 2 are being viewed side by side in the
first portion 321 and the second portion 322, respectively, of the
foldable display 320. A multi-touch gesture input comprises a user
placing one finger, or a first touch input, 1005 in the first
portion 321 of the foldable display 320, or App 1, and a second
finger, or a second touch input, 1010 in the second portion 321 of
the foldable display 320, or App 2. As the user rotates the fingers
in a circular, clockwise, motion, moving the first touch input from
App 1 to App 2 and the second touch input from App 2 to App 1, the
electronic device is configured to swap the display positions of
the two applications. FIG. 10B illustrates the resulting
configuration wherein App 2 is displayed in the first portion 321
of the foldable display 320 and App 1 is displayed in the second
portion 322 of the foldable display 320.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIGS. 10C and 10D, an
electronic device 300 is in a non-folded state or in tablet mode
and three applications are displayed on the foldable display 320.
In FIG. 10C App 1 is displayed in the first portion 321 of the
folded display 320, App 2 is displayed in an upper portion of the
second portion 322 of the folded display 320 and App 3 is displayed
in a lower portion of the second portion 322 of the folded display
320. A multi-touch gesture input comprises a user placing one
finger, or a first touch input, 1015 in the upper portion of the
second portion 322 of the foldable display 320, or App 2, and a
second finger, or a second touch input, 1020 in the lower portion
of the second portion 321 of the foldable display 320, or App 3. As
the user rotates the fingers in a circular, clockwise, motion,
moving the first touch input 1015 from App 2 to App 3 and the
second touch input 1020 from App 3 to App 2, the electronic device
is configured to swap the display positions of the two
applications. FIG. 10D illustrates the resulting configuration
wherein App 2 is displayed in the lower portion of the second
portion 322 of the foldable display 320 and App 3 is displayed in
the upper portion of the second portion 322 of the foldable display
320.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIGS. 10E and 10F, an
electronic device 300 is in a non-folded state or in tablet mode
and three application are displayed on the foldable display 320. In
FIG. 10E App 1 is displayed in the first portion 321 of the folded
display 320, App 2 is displayed in an upper portion of the second
portion 322 of the folded display 320 and App 3 is displayed in a
lower portion of the second portion 322 of the folded display 320.
A multi-touch gesture input comprises a user placing one finger, or
a first touch input, 1025 in the first portion 321 of the foldable
display 320, or App 1; a second finger, or a second touch input,
1030 in the upper portion of the second portion 321 of the foldable
display 320, or App 2; and a third finger, or third touch input,
1035 in the lower portion of the second portion 321 of the foldable
display 320 or App 3. As the user rotates the fingers in a
circular, clockwise, motion, moving the first touch input 1025 from
App 1 to App 2 and the second touch input 1030 from App 2 to App 3
and the third touch input 1035 from App 3 to App 1, the electronic
device is configured to rotate the display positions of the three
applications. FIG. 10F illustrates the resulting configuration
wherein App 3 is displayed in the first portion 321 and App 1 is
displayed in the upper portion of the second portion 322 and App 2
is displayed in the lower portion of the second portion 322 of the
foldable display 320.
The multi-touch gesture to swap applications is not limited to the
examples as disclosed above. For example, the multi-touch gesture
may move in a counter-clockwise direction to signal swapping of
application display positions. Moreover, other variations and
embodiments, including swapping more than two applications at a
time may be contemplated without departing from the scope of this
disclosure.
FIGS. 11A, 11B, 11C and 11D illustrate examples of multi-touch
input gestures to go into an overview state according to
embodiments of this disclosure. The embodiment for gestures to go
into an overview state as shown in FIGS. 11A, 11B, 11C and 11D is
for illustration only and other embodiments could be used without
departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIGS. 11A and 11B, an
electronic device 300 is in a non-folded state or tablet mode. In
FIG. 11A, App 1 and App 2 are being viewed side by side in the
first portion 321 and the second portion 322, respectively, of the
foldable display 320. A user places a first finger, or a first
touch input, 1105 in the first portion 321 of the foldable display
320 or App 1 and a second finger, or a second touch input, 1110 in
the second portion 322 of the foldable display 320 or App 2. The
user slides each finger upward as illustrated in FIG. 11A. FIG. 11B
illustrates the resulting screen view, wherein App 1 and App 2 are
displayed as overview screens in the first portion 321 and second
portion 322, respectively, of the foldable display 320.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIGS. 11C and 11D, an
electronic device 300 is in a non-folded state or tablet mode. In
FIG. 11C App 1 and App 2 are displayed as overview screens, viewed
side by side in the first portion 321 and the second portion 322,
respectively, of the foldable display 320. A user places a first
finger, or a first touch input, 1115 in the App 1 overview screen
and a second finger, or a second touch input, 1110 in the App 2
overview screen. The user slides each finger downward as
illustrated in FIG. 11C. FIG. 11D illustrates the resulting screen
view wherein App 1 and App 2 are displayed side by side in the
first portion 321 and the second portion 322, respectively, of the
foldable display 320.
FIGS. 12A, 12B, 12C and 12D illustrate examples of multi-touch
input gestures to bring back the last application that was closed
according to embodiments of this disclosure. The embodiment for
gestures to bring back the last application that was closed as
shown in FIGS. 12A, 12B, 12C and 12D is for illustration only and
other embodiments could be used without departing from the scope of
the present disclosure.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIGS. 12A and 12B, an
electronic device 300 is in a non-folded state or tablet mode. FIG.
12A illustrates that App 1 is displayed as a full screen of the
foldable display 320. The user places a first finger, or first
touch input, 1205 on App 1 and places a second finger, or second
touch input, 1210 spaced apart from the first touch input 1205
horizontally on App 1. The user slides the fingers from right to
left. FIG. 12B illustrates that as a result of the finger movement,
App 1 is displayed in the first portion 321 of the foldable display
320 and App 2 is displayed in the second portion 322 of the
foldable display 320. According to embodiments of this disclosure,
App 2 is displayed because it was the last application closed as a
result of a multi-touch input configured to display App 1 as a full
screen, such as was described in reference to FIGS. 8A-8B.
Referring to the non-limiting example of FIGS. 12C and 12D the same
result may be accomplished with another multi-touch configuration.
As illustrated in FIG. 12C, a first finger, or first touch input,
1215 is placed on the edge of App 1 and a second finger, or second
touch input, 1220 space apart from the first touch input 1215
vertically on the edge of App 1. The user slides the fingers from
right to left. FIG. 12D illustrates that as a result of the finger
movement, App 1 is displayed in the first portion 321 of the
foldable display 320 and App 2 is displayed in the second portion
322 of the foldable display 320. According to embodiments of this
disclosure, App 2 is displayed because it was the last application
closed as a result of a multi-touch input configured to display App
1 as a full screen such as was described in reference to FIGS.
8A-8B.
FIG. 13 is a block diagram that illustrates an example method 1300
for a user interface of an application to be fully or partially
displayed on a foldable display based on a time duration since an
electronic device was last opened according to embodiments of this
disclosure. While the block diagram depicts a series of sequential
steps, unless explicitly stated, no inference should be drawn from
that sequence regarding specific order of performance, performance
of steps or portions thereof serially rather than concurrently or
in an overlapping manner, or performance of the steps depicted
exclusively without the occurrence of intervening or intermediate
steps.
In block 1305, an electronic device 300 is configured to detect an
opening of a foldable display 320. An opening of the foldable
display 320 is when the foldable display 320 goes from a folded
state to an unfolded state. In block 1310, the electronic device
300 is configured to determine whether a length of time since the
last time the foldable display was closed is within a predetermined
amount of time or threshold. A closing of the foldable display 320
is when the foldable display 320 goes from an unfolded state to a
folded state. If the length of time is within the threshold, the
foldable display 320 will display the user interface of the last
application according to the resolution restrictions of the
application. For example, if the user interface of the application
being displayed before the foldable display 320 was closed has
resolution restrictions that require a conventional screen, i.e. a
small screen or mobile screen configuration, the process moves to
step 1330 where the user interface of the application will be
displayed on only a portion of the foldable display 320. On the
other hand, if the user interface of the application being
displayed before the foldable display 320 was closed has a
resolution restriction that allows the application to be viewed on
a large screen, or tablet screen configuration, the process moves
to step 1340 where the user interface of the application will be
displayed on the full screen of the foldable display 320. If the
length of time since the last time the foldable display 320 was
closed exceeds the threshold the process proceeds to block
1315.
According to embodiments of this disclosure, as shown in block
1315, the foldable display 320 is configured to display a home
screen, or home launcher, in the first portion 321 of the foldable
display 320 and the user interface of the application that was last
opened on the second portion 322 of the foldable display 320 if the
length of time since the previous closing exceeded the
threshold.
In block 1320, the electronic device 300 receives a selection of a
second application on the home screen. In block 1325, the
electronic device 300 determines whether the selected second
application is configured for conventional screen display or full
screen display. If the selected application has resolution
restrictions that require a conventional screen, i.e. a small
screen or mobile screen configuration, the process moves to step
1330 where the user interface of the application will be displayed
on only a portion of the foldable display 320. The user interface
of the selected second application will replace the home screen in
the first portion 321 of the foldable display 320. On the other
hand, if the selected application has a resolution restriction that
allows the application to be viewed on a large screen, or tablet
mode, the process moves to step 1340 where the user interface of
the application will be displayed on the full screen of the
foldable display 320.
In block 1335, the electronic device 300 receives a multi-touch
input gesture on the foldable display 320. The multi-touch input
gesture allows for manipulation of the displayed applications
including application display size, application display position,
entering an application overview state and retrieving a closed
application. Various examples of the manipulation of the displayed
applications were previously provided in accordance with the
illustrations of FIGS. 8A though 12D.
In block 1340, the electronic device 300 displays the user
interface of the selected application on the full screen of the
foldable display 320 according to the determination that the
application is configured for full screen display in block 1325. In
block 1345, the user closes the foldable electronic device 300 and
the length of time between the closing of the electronic device 300
and the re-opening of the electronic device 300 will be
re-determined at block 1305.
FIG. 14 is a block diagram that illustrates an example method 1400
of displaying a user interface of an application either fully or
partially on the foldable display 320 according to embodiments of
this disclosure. While the block diagram depicts a series of
sequential steps, unless explicitly stated, no inference should be
drawn from that sequence regarding specific order of performance,
performance of steps or portions thereof serially rather than
concurrently or in an overlapping manner, or performance of the
steps depicted exclusively without the occurrence of intervening or
intermediate steps.
In block 1402, an electronic device 300 is in a folded state, or
mobile mode. The non-foldable display 315 presents to the user that
the electronic device 300 is currently locked. The user provides an
input to unlock the electronic device 300. In block 1404, the
electronic device 300 is no longer locked and still in mobile mode.
The non-foldable display 315 displays a home screen, or home
launcher, that comprises a display of a plurality of application
icons. In block 1406, the user selects an application icon which
corresponds to an application program from the home screen on the
non-foldable display 315. In block 1408, the user opens the
electronic device 300. The electronic device 300 is now in an
unfolded state, or tablet mode.
In block 1410, the electronic device 300 determines whether the
selected application is a responsive application. A responsive
application is an application that has a user interface that is
configured to be displayed on both a small screen (also referred to
as a conventional screen such as on a mobile device) or a large
screen (also referred to as the full screen of the foldable
display). In other words, the user interface of a responsive
application has variable screen sizes. If the selected application
is responsive the method proceeds to block 1412. If the selected
application is non-responsive the method proceeds to block
1418.
Following the method according to the selected application being
responsive, in block 1412, the electronic device 300 is configured
to display the user interface of the responsive selected
application on the full screen of the foldable display 320
according to its size restrictions (see the example illustrated in
FIG. 6 of the application supporting full screen layout).
In block 1414, the user closes the electronic device 300. In block
1416, the user interface of the application that was being
displayed on the full screen of the foldable display 320 is
displayed on the non-foldable display 315 as the electronic device
300 enters mobile mode.
Now following the method according to the selected application
being non-responsive, in block 1418, the user interface of the
non-responsive selected application is displayed on the second
portion 322 of the foldable display 320. In block 1420, the
electronic device 300 is configured to display the home screen on
the first portion 321 of the foldable display 320 (see the example
illustrate in FIG. 6 of the application not supporting the full
screen layout). The home screen and the user interface of the
non-responsive selected application are displayed side by side on
the foldable display 320. In block 1422, the user selects a second
application from the home screen displayed in the first portion 321
of the foldable display 320. The second application opens and the
user interface of the second application is displayed in the first
portion 321 of the foldable display 320, replacing the home
screen.
In block 1426, the user chooses to close the electronic device 1426
or the user proceeds to interact with the applications displayed on
the foldable display 320. If the user chooses to close the
electronic device 300, the process proceeds to block 1428. If the
user chooses to keep interacting with the applications while in
tablet mode, the process proceeds to block 1430.
Following the method according to the user closing the electronic
device 300, in block 1428, the user closes the electronic device
300. Upon the electronic device closing, the electronic device 300
is configured to display on the non-foldable display 315 the user
interface of the application that was last interacted with by the
user on the non-foldable display 320 in the folded state, or mobile
mode.
Next, following the method according to the user choosing to not
close the electronic device 300, in block 1430, the user inputs a
multi-touch gesture on the foldable display screen 320, such as the
example described in FIGS. 8A-8D. The multi-touch input gesture
allows the user to choose an application from multiple applications
that are being displayed in partial portions of the foldable
display 320 to be displayed on the full screen of the foldable
display 320. In block 1432, the electronic device 300 is configured
to determine whether the application selected by the multi-touch
input gesture is a responsive application. If the application is
non-responsive the process proceeds to block 1434. If the
application is responsive the process proceeds to block 1436.
In block 1434, the user interface of the non-responsive selected
application does not become full screen and remains displayed in
the portion of the foldable display 320 as it was before the
multi-touch input gesture. In block 1436, the user interface of the
responsive selected application is displayed on the full screen of
the foldable display 320 and the other applications are hidden from
view.
FIG. 15 is a block diagram that illustrates an example method 1500
of displaying a user interface of an application on the
non-foldable display 315 or the foldable display 320 according to
embodiments of this disclosure. While the block diagram depicts a
series of sequential steps, unless explicitly stated, no inference
should be drawn from that sequence regarding specific order of
performance, performance of steps or portions thereof serially
rather than concurrently or in an overlapping manner, or
performance of the steps depicted exclusively without the
occurrence of intervening or intermediate steps.
In block 1505, the electronic device 300 is configured to determine
its state. The state can be either a folded, or closed, state, or
an unfolded, or open, state. In block 1510, the electronic device
300 receives a user input selection of an application program on a
home screen of the electronic device 300. The user input selection
of an application can be received from a user through the
touchscreen of the non-foldable display 315 or the touchscreen of
the foldable display 320. In block 1515, the electronic device 300
determines if the user interface of the selected application
program has size restrictions. In block 1520, the electronic device
300 executes instructions to display the user interface of the
selected application, based on the size restriction and the state
of the foldable device, on either the foldable display or the
non-foldable display. For example, if the foldable device is in an
unfolded state the user interface of the selected application will
be displayed on at least a portion of the foldable display 320
based on the size restriction. As another example, if the foldable
electronic device 300 is in the folded state, the user interface of
the selected application will be displayed on the non-foldable
display 315 in response to receiving the selection of the
application through the touchscreen of the non-foldable display
315.
Although various features have been shown in the figures and
described above, various changes may be made to the figures. For
example, the size, shape, arrangement, and layout of components
shown in FIGS. 1 through 15, are for illustration only. Each
component could have any suitable size, shape, and dimensions, and
multiple components could have any suitable arrangement and layout.
Also, various components in FIGS. 1 through 15 could be combined,
further subdivided, or omitted and additional components could be
added according to particular needs. Further, each component in a
device or system could be implemented using any suitable
structure(s) for performing the described function(s). In addition,
whiles FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 illustrate various series of steps,
various steps in FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 could overlap, occur in
parallel, occur multiple times, or occur in a different order.
None of the description in this application should be read as
implying that any particular element, step, or function is an
essential element that must be included in the claim scope. The
scope of patented subject matter is defined only by the claims.
Moreover, none of the claims is intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. .sctn.
112(f) unless the exact words "means for" are followed by a
participle.
* * * * *
References